


Hunt, Kill, Love

by Wickedworrior



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-13
Updated: 2016-08-14
Packaged: 2018-08-08 12:11:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7757386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wickedworrior/pseuds/Wickedworrior
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five months after the events of CAWS, Cap and Sam are hunting Bucky. Natasha is staying out of things making a new cover. A chain of events make Steve and Natasha meet again, but this time it won't be the same. The return of an old enemy hits Cap to his core. Can he stop him alone?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The wind was howling and the snow was more ice than fluff. Steve Rogers and Sam were trudging through the deep snow. The cold air was nipping at their faces and the ice-snow was starting to cut their skin. Sam couldn't feel his legs, Steve seemed to be fine, but they found an abandoned cottage and Sam opened the door and walked inside; Steve followed. Sam felt cold still, but the bitterness of the wind was gone. Steve shut the door keeping the howling wind outside and it was silent in the cottage.

It was a one room cottage with a broken table and sunken in couch in the corner. Sam let out a sigh of relief and sat down with his back to the wall. He put his head back and relaxed his muscles; which were numb. He closed his eyes and he felt warmth enter his fingers again. He opened them to see Steve standing before a window, he was staring out of it as if he was looking for someone.

"No one is crazy enough to be out there, well besides you" Sam said with his eyes closed again

"Sorry, old instincts kicking in" Steve said turning to look at Sam

"If you want to look out at a whiteout no one here is stopping you" Sam said feeling tired

Steve nodded and he turned back to the window and staring out at the white abyss. He wasn't looking for anyone, staring out the window made it easier to think. He could see white and nothing else it gave a sense of no past, present, or future; he found it lonely. He was thinking about Bucky and the moment of one of the helicarriers when he was going to let Bucky kill him. Then how he woke up on a river bank with his head in Natasha's lap. Natasha.

That woman always found a way into his thoughts, he could be doing a math problem or figuring out a strategy and there she was. He hadn't seen her in five months not since the day at the cemetery. He missed her company, even though she was an assassin and a professional liar. Being on the run with her was fun, in a way. But Hydra still being around and how it grew within S.H.E.I.L.D. still gave him nightmares. His thoughts kept going to that moment on the escalator. When she wanted him to kiss her.

"Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable" she said to him

"Yes they do" He said not getting what she was talking about.

Then she kissed him, he didn't even realize it was to hide from Rumlow, but the sensation was something else. When they came apart, Steve's heart was pounding and his ears were warm; he only got that feeling one time and it was back in 1945 when he kissed Peggy. He realized it was just to hide but Steve kept going back to the scenario.

He missed her company, he even had dreams about her. He turned to see Sam asleep and was lightly snoring. He sighed and put his shield against the wall and he sat down and laid against the wall and closed his eyes.

Steve was sitting on a bed and he was reading a book. He looked up to the knock that came from the open door. There she was Natasha; she was wearing a black tank top with blue jeans. Steve looked at her emerald eyes, how they pierced into him and he studied every curve and angle and she smiled seductively that sent a shiver down his spine. He stood up and walked over to her and they met in the middle and embraced and kissed passionately.

Steve was woken by Sam slightly shaking him "Cap, the snow is still falling, but it's not a blizzard".


	2. Chapter 2

"You really think he'll be there?" Sam asked as wind hit his face.

"I'm not sure, but maybe he is trying to understand his past. It may be small, but it's still a chance that we'll run into him."

"Well you lead the way" Sam said putting his hood up and pulling cloth over his face to stay warm.

Steve did the same and he opened the door meeting the chilling air.

Natasha was sitting in a small two room apartment, it had been five months since the cemetery and she had just recovered a dated but still reliable cover. She was spending her days in Caracas. She was waiting for the right time to reappear. She had short wavy red hair again. She got rid of the long straight red hair a day after the cemetery. She was lying back with her head on the pillow.

She doesn't sleep much, and when she does she is haunted by nightmares of her past. She was lying awake in the middle of the night. She tossed and turned trying to get comfortable, but no matter what she did, she wasn't.

She sighed in frustration and closed hers eyes trying to make herself sleep. Her thoughts trailed from the child wars, the riverbank, the house fire, and a cold bunker. She would go through all of her horrible memories before she fell asleep. She turned to her side and her thoughts went to the first time she met Steve.

He stepped out of the ship wearing a button up plaid shirt with a brown leather jacket looking slightly out of place, ok really out of place. His blue eyes piercing through her, they made a shiver go down her spine and her mouth slightly opened. She felt something in her stomach and then Coulson was introducing him to her.

"Ma'am" he said; that was something she never heard from anyone. She kept it together even though his gaze made her legs feel weak she said "Hi" calmly.

Then how she couldn't stop stealing glances at him. Walking onto the bridge was an example, but she caught him looking once or twice. Natasha opened her eyes to see the sun peaking over the horizon sending a thin ray of light into her room through the gap of the blinds. She sat up and she yawned, then she realized that she fell asleep, it felt like five minutes and she was also well rested; something that doesn't happen often. She stood up and went to go take a cold shower.

The snow was falling gently over the mountains. The rock formation was cold and slick with ice and an opening in the formation was visible. A loud knocking noise came from the opening. A Black bird landed next to it and it pecked its feather a few times when a metal hand flew up and grasped the rock sinking in and carving into it. The bird cawed and flew away as another hand came up, holding a knife.


	3. Chapter 3

Steve and Sam were trudging along through the snow. Steve was ahead of Sam, mostly because he wasn't being affected by the cold. Sam was shivering even though he had layers on. No matter how many layers he wore, the cold wind always found a way in. Sam sniffed trying to keep the liquid from running, yet Steve seemed to be fine.

"Hey… Cap?" Sam said catching his breath

"Yeah"

"Have you found it yet?"

"We still have two miles to go" Steve said walking over to Sam

"You alright?" he asked

"Yeah… it's just…really cold" Sam said through shivers and chattering teeth.

"We can stop for a while" Steve said looking around studying the terrain.

"Don't take this as in wimping out, but can we?"

"Yeah, sorry the metabolism makes it hard to get cold"

Steve took his shield and dug into the snow; it was deep and mostly ice. But his shield had no problem making a make shift ice cave. Sam crawled into it once Steve was done; he instantly felt warmer. He sat down and put his hands to his chest, keeping the warmth around his heart.

Steve put his shield at the entrance closing the hole slightly, but leaving the top open so air could come in and so they could look out of it. Steve saw Sam trying to get warm.

"Regretting coming with me?"

Sam looked at him "Hell no, it's just, I'm a little out of my element"

"I was in this for seventy years"

"You were sleeping" Sam said smiling

"It was more like a blink, and here I am"

Sam lightly chuckled and his tone went back to being serious "What do you hope to find at this abandoned Hydra base?"

"Anything on Bucky"

"Are you sure you want to go down that path? Natasha even warned you"

"He's my best friend, I can't give up on him"

"What I said before you almost got killed by him and saved the world, I still think it's true"

"I can see your point, but Bucky was there for me. Even if I didn't exactly see it, it's only right if I am there for him" Steve said knowing that he must have been a pain back before the serum. Yet Bucky put up with him.

"My opinion is mine, and yours is yours"

"Yeah" Steve said his voice trailing off clearly not wanting to discuss the topic anymore.

_**Natasha** _

Natasha was sitting at a restaurant and she ordered a dish she couldn't pronounce. She sat silently, trying not to draw attention to herself; hard to do when every man is looking at you with their mouth open.

She wasn't surprised by it though, it happened everywhere she went. The waitress brought her food and it looked good enough. She ate in silence stopping halfway done not wanting to overeat. She left a tip and walked out into the street.

A car honked at her as it passed her making her almost ready to kill someone. She took a breath and walked back to her apartment. Doing nothing was boring, not to mention maddening. She missed the action, and she missed everyone; except Stark. She thought she saw Clint on a roof a week ago, but it was nothing.

But she kept it in the back of her mind. She got to her door and she heard someone in her apartment. She quietly unlocked the door, she pulled out a pistol from her ankle and she slammed the door open.

She found Clint hanging halfway out of a vent, she lowered her gun and rolled her eyes at the situation.

"Really?"


	4. Chapter 4

"Really?"

Clint looked at her noticing that he was caught, he smiled nervously and shrugged.

"Get out of there" she said

Clint complied and got out of the vent by falling to the floor making a loud thud. He stood up and brushed a cob web from his shoulder.

"Someone needs to clean in there" he said slightly coughing

"Sign yourself up for it, you didn't seem to have a problem with it. I knew I saw you on a roof a week ago" she said crossing her arms

"It took me three months to track you down"

"Only three?" she said slightly amused

"Yes, you fooled me once or twice. I looked for you in Moscow and Florence."

"Oh, so only two cities?" she said smirking

Clint took it as a sign to let go of his ego and come clean.

"Fine and South Africa, Paris, London, and Atlanta, and maybe Rio" Clint said avoiding her gaze

"So I chose a good city" she said smiling

"Yeah, you've never been here before, and you have no contacts in South America."

"I do now."

"So that's what you've been doing here other than tanning" Clint said noticing she was lightly tanned but her white skin was still present and gorgeous.

"What do you want Clint?" she said while walking to the bathroom

"Too see you; I was on mission during the whole Hydra S.H.I.E.L.D. thing"

"You did see me a week ago" she countered

"OK, fine I wanted to see how everything was going and to ask when you're coming back."

"I don't know" she said frankly while splashing water on her face cooling her off.

"Everyone is at Avenger's Tower, well except Cap" Clint said taking a seat on her bed.

Her heart rate slightly elevated when he mentioned Steve.

"Where is he?" she asked trying to be as normal as possible

"Last I heard, Austria"

_**Steve** _

Steve and Sam were back out into the cold howling wind. They were coming up on their target.

"Please tell me you found it" Sam said as Steve knelt down and started to dig with his shield.

"I think so" Steve said

He lifted two more shield full of snow then he hit a piece of metal. Steve tapped it a few times around the initial strike and he found a door. He found the handle; which was frozen. Steve hit it with his shield and it shattered. Steve put his shield on his back and he pulled the door open. A ladder was there and it led down.

"Ok, inside" Steve said

"You don't have to tell me twice" Sam said climbing down the ladder

Steve looked around and saw no one, he was hoping that he would find Bucky or something about him more than a small file. He climbed down into the base and he dropped down to the floor next to Sam. They were in a tunnel and it was dark and quiet.

"Ok, I've got the creeps" Sam said

"Good thing we brought flash lights" Steve said turning his on

The light showed them a group of Hydra soldiers lying on the ground nothing but bones. Steve walked over them and Sam followed. They came to another door which was already opened. Steve stopped and looked at Sam; Sam nodded to him and they both went into the room.

The surface was cold and Bucky was walking along in it, not fazed by the cold air. He found the open door that Steve and Sam went through. He didn't hesitate and he climbed down into it. He found the dark tunnel familiar, like it was something out of a dream. The flashes of him chocking one of the doctors. He leaned against the wall of the tunnel; his head was throbbing. He rubbed his eyes and sighed softly.

Steve and Sam found no one in the room, except for some more skeletons. Sam was looking at a pile of papers that were spread out over the ground. He knelt down and grabbed one and turned it over to see the Hydra symbol on it.

"Well, we're in the right place" He said letting go of the paper and it floated down to the cold floor. Sam stood and saw Steve looking at something; then he heard a loud thump from the door they just walked through.

"Hey Cap, I think there is someone down here with us" Sam said but got no reply

He inclined his head and walked over to Steve "Cap?"

Steve still didn't respond and he was staring at a file lost in thought. Sam grabbed his shoulder bringing him back to reality and he was startled and he looked at Sam.

"Someone is down here with us" Sam whispered

Steve nodded and he was breathing slightly heavily. "What is it?" Sam asked

Steve didn't answer he just couldn't stop staring at the name on the file he was holding: Natalia Alianovna Romanova.

Sam grabbed the other two files and grabbed Steve's arm making him face him "Hand me the file" Sam said

Steve slowly nodded and gave Sam the file and he blinked and rubbed his eyes; he looked like someone slapped him in the face. He shook his head slightly and turned around to see Bucky standing there.

"Bucky?" Steve said

Sam turned toward him pointing a gun.

"Put the gun down" Bucky said

"In case you don't remember the last time we met, I'll keep it up thank you" Sam said cocking the gun back

Bucky stood in silence and his eyes shifted from Sam to Steve and he blinked and the door behind him exploded and flames flew out of it. They dove out of the way with Sam and Steve on one side of the room and Bucky on the other. They were hiding behind cover and Steve took the chance to glance over the cover; he could see a large number of Hydra soldiers and a man he thought was dead.

"Where are you Cap?" Rumlow asked

Steve stayed silent and he saw Bucky readying his gun and he exited cover first firing. Two Hydra soldiers fell to the ground the other scrambled for cover. Rumlow fired back at him as he went to cover. Sam fired next and he grazed a soldier's arm making him groan in pain. Bucky ran toward them and he ran up onto a few large containers and he leaped over to them.

Steve stood up and followed Bucky; Sam fired again giving Steve cover. He ran out of bullets and he quickly replaced the clip with a loud snap. The Hydra soldiers fired back but with the guns from 1945. A large hole was burned through next to Sam and he glared at it and fired while running to the other side of the room.

While the soldiers were busy firing at Sam, Bucky leaped into the group of soldiers and grabbed one and snapped his neck and kicked another into the wall cracking it. Rumlow turned his attention towards Bucky and fired at him, Bucky easily dodge the incoming fire and he rolled and caught Rumlow's wrist and twisted it making Rumlow's face contort in pain and he dropped the gun.

Rumlow was quick to counter and he hit Bucky in the ribs with a jab and then caught him in the jaw. Bucky was barley fazed by the punch and he pulled out a knife and went after Rumlow. Rumlow dodge a slash from Bucky and hit him. Bucky went to stab him but he stooped his arm; he tossed the knife into his other and jabbed at him. The blade cut across Rumlow's face as he blocked it.

Steve saw the remaining Hydra soldiers and threw his shield at one of them crushing his chest bone and the shield came back and Steve caught it and slipped it back on his arm. The Hydra soldiers fired and Steve put his shield up and loud clanging filled the room as the bullets hit the shield but doing nothing to it. He saw Sam running up and drop kicked a soldier sending him to the ground. Sam recoiled and got back up and punch one in the face breaking his nose. He dodged a jab and blocked another; as another punch was thrown he blocked it with his left and rapped his hand around the soldier's wrist and hit the arm up at the elbow snapping his arm. The soldier howled in pain as Sam brought his foot up and kicked him in the chest sending him to the ground hitting his head as he hit the ground with a loud crack killing him.

Steve threw his shield into the other one sending the soldier into the wall. There was only two more soldiers left then Rumlow.

"Go, I got this" Sam said to Steve waving him away

Steve watched as Sam dodged another attack and flipped the man over his shoulder and punch the other one. Steve turned his attention onto Rumlow and Bucky.

Rumlow kicked Bucky off of him and he threw himself back to his feet from the floor, he pulled out a knife ready for another attack from Bucky; but he didn't expect a shield to come flying at him. Rumlow noticed it too late and the shield smacked him in the chest sending him into the wall and to the floor face first out of commission.

Steve caught his shield as it came back and walked over to where Bucky was but he was gone, Steve and Sam were the only ones still standing in the room. Sam jogged over to Steve with bloody knuckles and he was out of breath.

"He's gone again isn't he?" Sam asked

Steve nodded and patted Sam on the shoulder "At least my hunch was right"

Sam laughed at the sentence "Oh, I need a vacation" he said straightening his back cracking it.

"Come on we got what we came for, time to get back and look over our new details"

"Yay another five day hike through the snow" Sam said following Steve out of the room towards the exit.

_**Natasha** _

Clint stayed for two days and he went with Natasha everywhere. He would occasionally bring up the conversation of her coming back. But she always answered him with an "I don't know". They were sitting in her apartment and Clint was on her counter dangling his feet. He was drinking a bottled beer.

"You know we miss you" Clint said bringing the conversation back up again

Natasha was sitting on her couch reading a book "I told you once and I will tell you again, I don't know" she said annoyed

"Actually I've asked fifteen times" Clint said taking a sip of beer

Natasha threw him the finger as she was reading.

"Ok, but honestly don't you miss the action?" he asked

"No" she lied

"Really?" he asked surprised "You can barely take a week off without shooting something and five months of doing none of that should drive you mad"

"I am enjoying the time away from all of you boys"

"But who's going to pick up after us on missions?" Clint said slightly complaining

"Exactly why I am staying away" Natasha said she couldn't help but smile

"You really don't want to come back to New York?"

"No"

"But everyone is there just sitting around having fun. Well I don't know if you can call Tony's parties fun"

Natasha didn't say anything else; she tried to focus on her book, but her thoughts kept drifting to Steve.

"I mean really it always ends with too much drinking, and don't even get me started on the Asgardian Ale." Clint said finishing is beer and setting it down.

"Asgardian Ale?" Natasha asked looking back at Clint

"Oh some magical Ale that Thor brings with him sometimes, it has caused more than one wall to be crushed by his hammer"

Natasha turned her attention back to her book but really she just thought about Steve again. The perfect man, strong, brave, noble and such a boy scout. She remembered being in Sam's house sitting on a bed toweling her hair and she was looking at Steve by the mirror watching his muscles as she washed his hands and dried them. She looked away before he walked back out again with his perfect body coming toward her heart rate increased and her legs felt weak and she was sitting down. Her stomach felt weird when he sat down and she could smell him; the scent of spearmint with a hint of sweat.

She blinked and brought herself back to her book and she read a page when Clint spoke again.

"I think you don't want to come back because someone isn't there"

She looked at him and her brow furrowed "What?" she asked

"It might be Pepper she isn't there right now, Jane isn't there either" Clint said pondering

Clint blinked and the name came to him "It's because Cap isn't there isn't it?"

"What? No its just I want to be away from everything right now" She said slightly defensive

"No, it's because Cap isn't there. You like him don't you?"

"He's a friend and a partner nothing more"

"What a partner/friend with benefits?" Clint said smirking

"NO" Natasha said firmly

"Ok whatever you say, but Nat someone has gotten to you and I'm going to find out who it is" Clint said teasing as he walked towards the bedroom.


	5. Chapter 5

Two weeks later…

Steve and Sam were in an apartment that Steve was renting in Austria. Sam was making coffee and Steve was sitting on the couch with the files lying on the table in front of him. He was leaning forward with his hand under his chin, he was thinking about which file he should look at first. He looked at the third file and he grabbed it and opened it. The information in the file was about other Hydra bases, and a picture of the Red Skull with his old face mask. Steve could see the evil in his eyes even in a picture and he frowned at the picture.

Sam brought a cup of coffee for Steve; Steve accepted "Thank you"

Sam nodded and walked back into the kitchen. Steve turned his attention to the other files, he put the one in his hands down and grabbed one of the others and opened it. This one was about Bucky or Winter Soldier. It showed all his missions and targets over the years. A page was about how they kept him on ice and was used to make Hydra's will become reality. He felt a lump in his throat as he read on and on about his friend.

Steve could still remember the cold air and the image of Bucky falling away from him and disappearing into the valley of white. Steve felt a tear at his eye and he quickly whipped it away. He took a deep breath and looked at another page. This one was titled "Red Room." Steve read it and found out that the Soviets were working with Hydra and they made the metal arm that made the Winter Soldier stick out in a crowd. Steve closed the file and rubbed his eyes and he set it back down on the table. He pondered at the Intel that he had just learned. He looked at Natasha's file and he reached for it and held it in his hands. He stared at it for minutes before he put it back on the table.

_It would be wrong to look at it without her permission. I'm sure there will be some bad things in the file, he may fully understand why her ledger was gushing red. But if she doesn't want me to know then I will not look at it. I will respect her privacy I know how she treasures it. She'll either tell in time or not at all, either way I will stand with her anywhere or against anyone._

"What's the news Cap?" Sam asked sitting down in an arm chair drinking his coffee.

"Well I found out about other Hydra bases and almost everything on Bucky"

"What about that one?" Sam said inclining his head toward the third file which was Natasha's

"Oh, just old missions and other political figure that were part of Hydra years ago, there all dead now." Steve lied

"Sounds boring"

"You have no idea" Steve said slightly laughing

"Well are we off to look for more Intel or are we still looking for Bucky?"

"Neither, Bucky will show himself eventually. I have to let him go and find himself"

"Five months of looking for him and you're ready to just stop looking?"

"We didn't find him, he found us and I have a feeling we will only see him when he wants us to"

"So where to?"

"Home, you in D.C. me in New York, I miss Brooklyn"

"Well I am not going to deny that these five months have been fun and horrible but I have no problem going home"

"I thought you would" Steve said smiling

"If your ever in D.C. again visit or just run laps past me" Sam said smiling

"On your left" Steve said walking past him on his left.

Sam smiled and chuckled, he went to his room and started to get packed. Steve took the files with him and he put them in his bag at the bottom. He grabbed his clothes and folded then neatly and put them in the bag perfectly. He grabbed his small sketch book which was his back up because he couldn't take the big one that is at home with him. Steve flipped through the pages and stopped at a sketch of eyes staring at him. They were green and he knew exactly who they belonged to. He smiled and closed the book and put it in his bag and zipped it shut.

_**Hydra Base** _

Rumlow was sitting on a cot with a doctor checking him over. He was severely burnt and had scars all over from the building collapsing on him. He stared at a TV as it played a movie that he had no idea what it was about or what its name is. He heard footsteps behind him and they stopped.

"Sir" Rumlow said not looking back at who was behind him, he knew who it was.

"Status?"

"Green and ready to continue"

"Good Mr. Bones, I need you"

"It's good to have you back sir"

"It's good to be back, Hail Hydra"

"Hail Hydra" Rumlow said turning around.

_**Natasha** _

Natasha was lying in bed and she was awake and the sun was starting to wake up and she didn't get a once of sleep. She was alone again; Clint left two weeks ago and he slightly begged her to come back. But she didn't want to go back, not because Steve wasn't there… ok maybe that had a small part to do with it. She missed him, but she still needed to stay away. She wasn't needed and she was out of work. S.H.I.E.L.D was gone or at least the old one was gone. Fury might have started it back up in secret.

She closed her eyes not wanting to get out of bed she thought about how she was alone. Her ledger made her a threat and she deserved it. She was deadly and could kill someone with her hands in twenty different ways. The Avengers didn't need her, they have Bruce and Thor, what does she help out in? She wasn't good enough for them, her past clearly showed that. She wasn't good enough for anyone, she should stay alone and die alone. She was good at keeping people out. But a small part of her wanted to go back, she missed the team, the family that accepted her without question.

She shouldn't go back though, they don't need her she told herself. She was sure that they didn't need her. But a part of her wanted to see Steve and be his partner again. It wasn't logical it wasn't rational, it was irrational and it was from the heart. Her heart, the one everyone who knew her at S.H.E.I.L.D said that she didn't have one and if she did it was dead. Love is for children she told herself again and again. But she couldn't stop thinking about Steve and his smile and his blue eyes, and not to mention his perfect body. She missed everything about him, even how naïve he is about modern sayings that he doesn't fully get.

She missed his honesty and his perfect gentleman tendencies. She just wanted to stay with him forever and never let him go. Why was she feeling this way? She had been in relationships before, but she never felt like this. Her heart was beginning to ache as if it wanted something. She was becoming more depressed, and all her mind seemed to be on was Steve. Maybe she would go back, if it gave her chance to see Steve, she'd do it all the time. She needed her partner back and she was going crazy without any action. She sat up and went to take a cold shower and then it was off to the airport.

_**Steve** _

Steve was sitting in first class on a plane, he was wearing a ball cap and glasses. It made it hard for someone to recognize him. He had his bag on his lap and his thoughts went to Natasha and where she might be at the moment. He was heading home and he probably wouldn't see her for another five months. He wasn't upset about it, he knew she liked her time away even if she can't stand being peaceful and no action. He felt the same way, he couldn't do nothing there was always something he had to do. It was difficult for him to do nothing, but he wouldn't mind a week off.

His thoughts went back to the first time he met Natasha; she was wearing jeans and a red shirt and a leather jacket. Coulson had just told him about his Captain America trading cards. He saw a woman that reminded him of Peggy. Strong, beautiful, and doesn't take shit from anyone. He had a thing for strong confident women and apparently non-American. He took Natasha's advice and dated Sharon Carter, she was fun but it never went anywhere. They split up just before Steve and Sam went to look for Bucky. There was something that just didn't feel right about dating Sharon; he knew it was about Peggy. She told him to live his life as she lived hers, and he couldn't keep his mind away from Natasha. The months had grown lonely and sure it was nice having Sam, but he missed his old partner. He had saved himself for the woman that would come into his life and be with him, the right partner. To Stark he still had his V-card and it wasn't going away anytime soon, and he wasn't going to drink this Asgardian Ale Stark had been talking about. Steve tended to stay away from anything magical or enchanted.

He has never been drunk and he doesn't plan on getting drunk. He did have plans to spend some time drawing, he missed it the peacefulness of it is why he loved it so much. He thought about Natasha and how she became more frequent in his dreams lately. His mind seemed obsessed with her, like all he wanted to do was see her and be near her. He never felt this way and this bad with Peggy, sure he loves Peggy, but Natasha was something else. He loved her personality, not the Black Widow one, the real Natasha. The one who could laugh and tell a joke and smile a real smile. Her eyes were one of the things that drew him in, there is so many things behind those emerald eyes.

He had to admit that he liked everything about her. Her breasts were nice and her ass was perfect. Every curve made him feel warm and full of desire. He had to face it, he liked Natasha Romanoff and he wanted her. But he is not going to be like a modern moron with the flirting that is borderline harassment. He was going to be himself and if she wanted him that way then he was willing to be himself and always be a good man. He missed her even more now and he wished that she would be in New York soon.

"Attention, we will be landing in New York in ten minutes"

Steve took a deep breath as he looked out of the window to see the city in the distance. The turbulence started to kick in and it made him grab the arm rests and he squeezed them tightly; he hated turbulence. Every take off and every landing was like sweating bullets.

Bucky was sitting in a cave back in Russia and he was waiting for the weather to die down. He thought about Steve, it was like seeing him years ago, one day they are standing on a snowy ridge getting ready to go down a zip line and then he sees him in a street saying his name in a different time and place than the last one. It gave him a headache whenever he thought about it too much. He would have dreams of himself killing someone who seemed important. Seeing his past slowly coming back to him was taking a toll. He couldn't sleep and he was never in a mood to eat.

Bucky needed to get through this and this time alone, like he had been for all this time in his own mind. He was still recovering from being in control of his own mind again and not be pulled out and have something else take its place. Making something he's not, a cold-blooded killer. He felt his left arm with his right hand and it was cold and lifeless. That arm had down so many horrible things, he didn't want to remember it. But he has to if he wants all his memories back which he does. Then maybe he could go find Steve and help him again like the old days which seemed like a day ago to him.

Steve was walking out of the airport to see Thor standing with a sign saying "Steve Rogers" he stuck out like a sore thumb wearing his normal gear and of course, being two heads taller than everyone else. He spotted Steve and smiled and dropped the paper and rushed over to meet him.

"Lord Steven" he said pulling Steve into a hug

"It's good to see you to Thor" Steve said struggling to breathe

Thor let go of him and he took him to a limo which was waiting for them. Steve stopped and looked at it "Stark always liked making entrances"

On the way to Avenger's Tower Thor filled him in of the four months that he missed. It seemed every night was a party because nothing was going on in the world big enough to involve the Avengers.

The limo pulled up to the base of the tower and they both walked in after a few people took quick photos of them with their phones. Steve had gotten used to it and they entered the building. They found the elevator and it took them to the top floor where everyone else was. The doors slid open and Thor walked out.

"Hey Thor" Steve said

Thor turned back to Steve "You coming Lord Steven?"

"Yes, but I just want to go to my room and lie down and sleep, it's been a long four months with being on mission do you think we could keep them away from me for the night?"

"Sure" Thor said

Steve was relieved that no one had seen him and he sneaked to his room and opened the door and locked it. He let out a breath and relaxed.

"Good morning Captain Rogers" Jarvis said

"Thank you Jarvis, oh and Jarvis can you keep my room on lock down and let me know when someone comes knocking. Oh and keep Stark from spying on me"

"It has already been done sir"

"Thank you Jarvis"

"I will leave you to your activities sir" Jarvis said before he left Steve alone.

Steve unpacked and when he was done he took a shower and laid down on his bed and he closed his eyes dreaming about Natasha.

_**Natasha** _

As the line of passengers slowly decreased Natasha was standing behind a family. She was starting to get nervous but she didn't show it. At least she could still hide emotion, but not feeling it she was completely failing. She wasn't do anything rational, leaving the safest place on earth for her, to see someone was not smart at all. Funny that all it took was a few days on the run with Steve to affect her like this. The line moved up again and she walked toward the bordering area even though every rational thought was telling her to stay away.

She found her seat easily enough, it was in coach towards the back. She was stuck between two guys and a small child and the man to her right couldn't stop staring at her breasts. She noticed the bulge in his pants and she rolled her eyes and ignored him. The other one was trying with all his might not to look at her; she noticed that he had a wedding band on his left hand. She focused on something else while the plane was taking off. Her ears popped and then she put her head back and closed her eyes.

She just wanted to work with Steve again, not to date and have sex with him. She just wanted to talk and work together, besides he'll be tortured by Stark with questions constantly. She was just returning to help out her partner, it's what partners do. That was at least what she kept telling herself.

A transport was flying across the barren landscape and Rumlow was sitting while checking his rifle. He took the mag out and looked at it and put it back in and cocked the rifle back.

"Mr. Bones are you almost to target?" the voice said through his ear piece

"Yes, sir the tracking beacon I planted on him is still active." Rumlow said

"We must have him back on our side Mr. Bones. He is my ace in my plan"

"Don't worry sir, you'll get you man"

"I hope for your sake that I do. Hail Hydra"

"Hail Hydra" Rumlow said while standing up and he directed the pilot to hover.

The transport hovered in place and the snow was picked up in a wind tunnel and was thrown into the air. Rumlow knelt down and aimed down the scope of the rifle and he found a cave, and heat signatures were present. He smirked and fired inside it; it took a minute but then he appeared. The Winter Soldier looking for who took the shot.

Rumlow took his time as Bucky scanned the terrain and then he saw the transport then Rumlow fired. The bullet flew out of the barrel as the gases emitted blew the snow away from it and the bullet passed through snowflakes and was heading towards Bucky. The bullet whizzed through the cold air and it hit Bucky in the right shoulder. Bucky was shocked by the initial strike and he fell to his knees and he put his hand to his shoulder. He felt cold liquid and he looked at it and it was purple and he frowned at it and he noticed that his fingers were becoming numb and so was his arm. It was a tranquilizer.

Bucky stood and ran toward the transport, Rumlow smirked and fired again hitting Bucky in the stomach. Bucky didn't stop even though he couldn't feel his torso. He leaped over a rock and rolled and kept running. Another bullet was fired and it hit him in the left leg. Bucky's hands went to his leg but he didn't stop, he limped along for a few moments and he went back to sprinting. Another bullet hit him in the other leg. Bucky brushed the pain from his mind and he was close to the transport now and a rock was leading in a perfect path to the transport's ramp where Rumlow was kneeling.

Rumlow aimed down the scope and fired as Bucky ran up the rock and jumped toward the ramp. Rumlow's smirk disappeared as he saw Bucky getting closer in his scope and he dropped the gun. He stood and Bucky landed on the ramp and tackled him and as they fell into the transport he rolled off of Rumlow and ran to the pilot and grabbed him by the chin and pulled him out of the seat snapping his neck. He took the controls and as the co-pilot pulled out a knife and went to stab him. Bucky stopped it with his hand and he turned it around and used the extra strength from his metal arm to shove it past the man's strength and the knife went into his eye sending warm blood out onto his hand. Bucky took the controls and pushed them down so the transport dipped and was sent to the ground.

Rumlow jumped onto Bucky and shoved a full tranquilizer into his neck and he took a Widow Bite and placed it on Bucky's metal arm shocking him and they both flew out of the transport as it crashed and they landed in the snow.

Rumlow opened his eyes and shot up and he was shivering from the wind. He stood up and he felt his ribs send a sharp pain to his brain telling them they were bruised. He looked around as snow blew into his face making him squint. He found Bucky lying face down in the snow and he wasn't moving. Rumlow laughed and put his hand to his ear.

"Sir, I got him"

"Good Mr. Bones, I see you need a ride"

Rumlow looked up to see a transport coming towards them; he smiled and he pulled out a shard of metal from his leg. He smirked and he grabbed Bucky and threw him onto his shoulders and he walked over to the transport.

Natasha walked out of the airport and got a cab. She stopped by her apartment and dropped her things off. She looked at herself in the mirror and she looked good. She brushed her hair out of her eyes and left the apartment after getting a glass of water. She got back in the cab she told to wait and it took her towards Avenger's Tower.

When it stopped in the front she opened the door and paid the man and he gave his gratitude and he drove off. Leaving her on the sidewalk, she looked up at the tall tower which had a bright A on it. She sighed and walked into the building and she found the elevator. It had changed since she last saw it which was back with the chitari attacking the city and it was messed up. She pressed the top floor and she waited patiently as the elevator moved up.

She had to collet herself and not react like she missed all of them especially Steve. She closed her eyes and then the elevator pinged and the door opened and she let out a breath as she saw who was waiting for the door to open.


End file.
